


Jumping Ship

by BalefireFlatlands



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: M/M, really stretching canon for an unnamed NPC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-09-14 10:33:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16911324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BalefireFlatlands/pseuds/BalefireFlatlands
Summary: The resistance rescues a deserting Peggie, now what do they do with him?





	Jumping Ship

**Author's Note:**

> Kel is the baptist you rescue in the mission "Jumping Ship" in John's region.

The world swirled unnaturally, the Bliss causing the meadow to appear far more green and lush than it actually was. In the clearing stood a shirtless man, shaggy and unkempt, swaying slightly as he glanced all around. His eyes were glazed, an iridescent film covering them, obviously blind. A few moments passed where he seemed frozen before he knelt down and extended his hand, reaching out to something that wasn’t there.

But looking through the Bliss distorted reality in ways both large and small. It could be the entire world had changed, or something as simple as the jakalope sitting in the grass before him. A twitch of its nose and it hopped away, looking back and encouraging him to follow. Unthinkingly he did, getting to his feet and stumbling forward. Ahead of him was a river lined with trees, moths and fireflies flitting about the ethereal landscape. He could feel the breeze on his skin, could hear the gurgle of the water as it passed, and turning his head he watched as a family of deer came to drink, flicking their ears and looking at him before peacefully walking back into the forest.

It was absolutely serene. Further up he could see the soft light of lanterns casting a warm glow on a large group of people gathered around a woman in a white dress and a taller man speaking and gesturing. He wasn’t close enough to make out the words, but the sound of the voice filled him with a sense of calm, a feeling of belonging and a desire to walk closer and listen.

He started to head that way, the jakalope bounding ahead and leading him to a white book on the ground. His book. Dropping to his knees he reached for it, he needed that. How would he bless the non-believers without his book? But he suddenly paused, blinking and shaking his head, a green cloud of mist swirling around his face. Something was wrong. No, not wrong, just … not right. Holding his hands up to inspect them he suddenly jerked away, torso whipping back as if he had ran into a brick wall. He cried out in pain as he harshly came back to reality.

Huffing out a Bliss-tainted breath he looked around him, completely lost. The river had been replaced with a fallen tree, and the lights of the gathering were merely reflectors along the edge of the nearby highway. The book was gone. Good, he never wanted to see it again. Though he did miss the birds chirping and the river rushing. Instead a different sound reached him, cars on the highway, cultists or Hope County residents, he couldn’t tell from where he was. He’d take the chance, right now he didn’t care if he lived or died. Dying before the collapse might be for the best.

Sadly looking back at where the jakalope had been he softly muttered to himself, “You should be real. Why can’t you be real?”

Unfortunately it wasn’t real. And he knew that, even in the bliss-induced stupor he lived in there was always that odd unsettling feeling that what he was looking at was not quite right. A sense that it was almost TOO perfect, far more pleasant than it should be, a twinge of knowledge that he was seeing a fantasy. A fact made more evident by how bad his vision was now that he was back in reality. Not completely blind, but his sight was so poor that the forest ahead of him melded into a muddied blob, and he couldn’t make out the laces on his shoes. In the Bliss he could see clearly, but now he saw everything through eyes damaged from the drug, like looking through gauze.

He glanced at his hands again, bloody and bruised with torn nails. He couldn’t remember what he had done, why he was bleeding, or even if it was his own blood covering the tattoos on his fingers. Flexing his knuckles he couldn’t feel the injury at all, which was normal for him, but it didn’t look too bad. Or maybe it was and he’d die slowly and painfully, before getting eaten by a bear. What an uplifting thought, he’d nourish the animals and perform one final good in his life.

Without realizing it he’d started crossing the road, a passing car snapping him out of his reverie as it swerved to avoid hitting him. He remained where he was as it came to a halt and a few figures got out to approach him. If they were other members of Eden’s Gate he was going to have to think of a good lie for what he was doing out here so far from his assigned area. And he’d never been good at lying. They weren’t shooting so they must have been fellow cultists, but he couldn’t be sure, squinting to try and see them better.

Oh wait no, they were shooting at him, but he couldn’t hear it. An arrow thwonked solidly into his leg, and he stood there looking at it in surprise. The blood was gushing down his thigh, but he couldn’t feel it. Another one barely missed his head and the archer shooting at him cursed.

“Told ya you couldn’t make a headshot with that thing.”

“Look it’s my first time using a bow! If I had my gun he’d be dead already.”

“He even has a target painted on his face! And you still missed.”

The cultist stood there, waiting for more arrows to come. Would he feel it when he died? Probably not, he hadn’t felt anything in his entire life since his awakening. Too much Bliss, it dulled all the senses. His mind had wandered off again, thinking about death, and he’d failed to notice the two hunters getting closer to him and remarking on the fact he hadn’t run away yet.

But he was brought back instantly by one of them exclaiming, “Cougar!” and the sound of gunshots.

That was all it took for him to decide that he was going to choose life as he darted towards the closest tree and scrambled up it. He could hear the snarls of the cougar as it chased him, being the only one stupid enough to run from a predator that was triggered by movement. As he pulled himself up into the branches the animal’s teeth closed around his foot and dragged him back down to the ground. He screamed, not in pain, but in surprise as his back hit the ground and the cougar was on top of him, ready to tear his throat out.

The chaos came to an abrupt halt as a bullet tore through the cougar’s skull and it dropped dead onto his chest. He scuttled back, sitting there stunned and panting as the two flannel clad figures approached and pulled it away. One of them started to skin it as another pointed a rifle at the cultist’s face, ready to end him. Time seemed to stop, and he waited for death to finally embrace him, but the gun was lowered to his chest and used to push him down onto his back.

“Something wrong with you?”

“Why dontcha kill him, Spence?”

The man was close enough now that the cultist could actually see him, an unsure expression on the face of the one he assumed was Spence. He stayed still, waiting for his fate. Maybe he didn’t want to die by mauling, but he was fine with being shot. At least it would be quick.

All three of them turned to look down the road as music started blaring, the telltale sound of a cultist convoy.

“I’m not going back.” Panicking, the cultist breathed out a cloud of green Bliss and tried to kick Spence and get him to shoot him, but his leg didn’t respond properly.

“Okay stop with the Bliss shit.” Spence grabbed him by the arm and dragged him deeper into the woods. “Shut up and stay quiet. Conner, get down here and hide, we’re not taking on a convoy.”

“The hell are you doing?” Conner hunched down behind a shrub, staring incredulously at them. “Kill him already!”

“He said he’s not going back! I think he’s defecting.” He looked down at the cultist who had curled up into a ball muttering about not wanting to reach Eden’s Gate. “Something is up with him anyway. Hey! I said stop with the Bliss.”

“I’m blind without it.” The cultist twisted around, staring intently through everything ahead of him. “There’s four trucks. There’s a sniper covering them from the ridge. One armored car with gun mount.”

“How do you know?”

“I can see them in the Bliss.” His eyes flicked back and forth, trying to focus. “They found your car.”

“Don’t listen to him! He’s a Peggie!”

“Why the fuck would he lie about how many trucks are in a convoy?”

Conner didn’t have a response to that. Other than all peggies were batshit crazy so who knew what they’d do. This guy wasn’t doing much though. Except bleeding everywhere from the arrow that was still embedded in his leg. He sighed, if he’d managed to get a headshot on him like intended, they wouldn’t be arguing about this. He needed more practice with the bow.

“Let’s get him to the park. The pastor can decide what to do with him.” Spence knelt down, pulling the rope off his belt. The cultist obediently held his wrists together behind his back, allowing himself to be bound.

The cultist didn’t know what ‘the park’ was, but it wasn’t him being turned over to his brethren, so he would go along with it. The pastor however; that was a whole different problem. Shaking his head harshly to clear it, he started to get up, he’d deal with that when he saw him, right now he needed to… well he needed to get back up since his leg didn’t seem to be listening to him anymore. He couldn’t feel the arrow, or the teeth punctures in his foot, but even with the lack of pain, his muscles couldn’t make his leg work without adequate bloodflow.

“Stop moving! You bring peggies down on us and I’m gonna shoot you in the dick and leave you to bleed out.” Harshly whispered by Conner as he pulled out a pair of binoculars to watch as the convoy drew closer. He grumbled as he counted cars, annoyed that the cultist had been telling the truth.

Fortunately for them the injured cultist lay there unmoving, eyes closed as he whispered a prayer under his breath. Eventually the convoy moved on after investigating the abandoned car. It wasn’t unusual for vehicles to be left unattended, and this one didn’t have anything of immediate value. They’d leave it alone, the convoy had more important things to do.

Spence tried to drag the cultist to his feet, shouldering his rifle so he could catch him as he stumbled. To his credit the guy tried to obediently hobble after him, but he face-planted into the dirt instead, unable to move his leg. Spence silently knelt down and got his shoulder underneath him, carrying him back to the car like a sack of potatoes.

“You got a kit in the car?”

“No, I used it when Craig got attacked by that wolverine. Do we wanna waste it on a cultist anyway?”

“It ain’t wasting it. Did you see what just happened? He can see convoys from a mile away. That’s useful as fuck! We could drive around with him and never encounter a roadblock.”

Conner stopped short, that hadn’t occurred to him. “Would he do that?”

“I dunno, you can ask him if he doesn’t die from bloodloss.” He dumped the limp body of the cultist into the backseat of his car, grimacing as he noticed that 'Only Joseph Can Judge Me’ tattoo emblazoned across his chest. Gross.

—

“I know you, Priest.”

The cultist looked away, wincing at the way the Pastor said his title.

“Wasn’t expecting you to be the defector.” Pastor Jerome closed his eyes before looking heavenward. “The lord tests me in new ways every day.”

There was a low rumbling among the gathered townsfolk, the desire to kill this cultist was palpable as they fidgeted to make sure guns were at the ready. People had risked their lives to help a defector, and it had turned out to be the priest that had been forcibly converting and baptizing people for John’s flock.

“Well Priest? What do you have to say for yourself.”

“I cannot atone for what I have done.” He looked up at the Pastor, or tried to anyway. The man was out of his range of vision, blurring into the wooden wall behind him. “But I can begin to do no more harm.”

“Let’s just shoot him!”

“How many people has he killed? Why are we even listening to this?”

Inclining his head, the Pastor made a palm down gesture to quiet the rabble. He was internally asking himself the same questions, but he had said to turn the other cheek. He’d at least go through the motions. The Priest was standing there quietly, looking uncomfortable as he tried to shift his weight onto his uninjured leg, his hands tied behind his back throwing off his balance.

“What’s your name?”

“Kel.”

“Well then Kel. What do you think we should do with you?”

Without hesitation he responded, “Kill me.”

That brought a rare smile to Jerome’s face. “Smarter than you look.” He approached him, putting his hands on Kel’s shoulders. “We will not be your wrath. If you wish to atone, you can start by telling us everything we need to know about Eden’s Gate. And I do mean everything.”

Kel startled, having not realized that Jerome was that close to him. But he nodded and hung his head, letting his hair hang down into his face. Being tortured to death was about what he’d expected. That was fine, it was what he deserved. It would be a little unfortunate for the eager townsfolk, as he didn’t think he’d be able to feel much of it - depending on what they did to him.

“Who wants to take custody of this young man until we need him?” Jerome shook his head at a woman who approached, knowing she would beat him senseless and probably let him die.

“I’ll take him.”

Everyone except Kel turned to look at the man in the last row of the church. He had his feet kicked up on the pew in front of him, a small smirk on his face.

Jerome’s lip curled in disgust. He had a hunch he knew why this particular person wanted to take Kel home, mostly to do with the Priest’s current shirtlessness. He gestured to the man, taking him to the side and having an animated conversation in hushed whispers.

Unfortunately that left Kel alone at the front of the church, standing there submissively and unable to see more than a few feet around him. Even if his vision had been perfect he wouldn’t have seen the shovel coming, smacking him in the back of his head and sending him sprawling face first to the floor.

Jerome yelled something, and the shovel was wrestled from the woman’s hands. Without the use of his arms Kel was having trouble getting back up, but he made a valiant effort, waiting to be struck again.

“Mitch is going to take him, and keep him from harm.” The last part of that sentence said with particular emphasis as he narrowed his eyes at Mitch. “I think this Priest will be useful yet.”

Mitch knelt down, easing Kel over his shoulder and holding him in place by wrapping his fingers over the waistband of his pants. “He’ll be in my safehouse when you need him.”

Kel went limp, accepting his fate. “You should blindfold me.”

“You can’t see.”

“Faith can.”

Well that was unsettling, but one of the townspeople stepped forward to tie a bandanna around his face. The last thing they needed was Faith knowing the location of her stolen Priest.

Kel was starting to get lightheaded. Bloodloss, starvation, being upside down for this long, was all combining to make him dizzy and nauseous. He faded in and out of awareness as he was carted along for what seemed like an enormous distance, the man carrying him cheerfully whistling as he adjusted his grip, wriggling his fingers against Kel’s butt.

Kel didn’t react. He wasn’t stupid, he knew he was in for something terrible. He just couldn’t find it in himself to care.

—

The blindfold was removed and Kel blinked in the dim lighting. There was a moment of panic, the cinderblock walls and concrete floor reminding him of John’s bunker and for a second he thought he was back there. But no, this was a small underground room made of cement and rebar, but there the similarities ended. He was sitting on a rather large couch, a table in front of him containing some porno magazines, with an absolutely huge tv hanging on the wall. There was a very plush looking bed on one side and a small galley kitchen on the other, everything cozy and compact yet comfortable.

This was not the type of room that Kel was expecting his torture to take place in. Instead it looked like a great setting to take a nap. Momentarily forgetting his situation, he wriggled backwards on the couch so he could relax against the plush cushions, trying to move his hands from where they were digging into the small of his back.

“C'mere. Let’s get you settled in.” Mitch was digging into a box under his bed, pulling out a pair of leather handcuffs and unlocking them. He tucked the key into his pants, before working the straps to open them.

Kel obediently tried to get up and come over to him, but his leg gave out and he collapsed back onto the couch. He grunted, peering down at his thigh to try and see the damage, almost wishing it actually hurt so he wouldn’t keep forgetting about it.

“Right.” Mitch was a little surprised that this cultist had tried to obey him, Bliss must really mess with their brains. Coming over to him he cut the rope from his wrists, letting him flex and rub at them for a few moments before strapping his hands together in front of him. “Better?”

“Yes.”

“Good! We’re off to a fine start then.” He smirked and tousled Kel’s hair before getting up and going into the kitchen.

Kel watched him go, starting to get nervous when it went silent and he couldn’t see him anymore. Maybe this wasn’t real. Maybe he’d sunk so far into the Bliss he couldn’t tell the difference between the two anymore. Was he already an Angel? Working until he dropped dead from exhaustion and starvation?

He startled and nearly fell off the couch as Mitch came back, setting a bottle of water on the table. “Hey! Hey relax. I’m not going to hurt you.” He sat down on the far side of the couch, trying to put him at ease. “Can you see me?”

Shaking his head Kel turned towards him, his eyes flicking around as he tried in vain to see the man talking. “You’re too far away. I can only see to that pillow.”

“Ah. Well then. Problem solved.” He happily scooched over, sitting in Kel’s personal space so that he was visible. “Drink some water, it’s the good stuff, not Bliss-tainted. Though I suppose for you it doesn’t much matter.”

“Thank you.” He nearly downed it all in one go, so far past dehydrated he was surprised he wasn’t slurring his words when he spoke.

“Now to get you cleaned up. You’re a bloody mess.” He reached out to touch the blood-painted cult symbol over Kel’s face. “And get all those wounds clean.”

Kel nodded, letting Mitch strip him down. He tensed up, but didn’t fight back, submitting to whatever his fate was. Admittedly, this wasn’t quite what he expected and he didn’t know how to react. He was fully prepared to be tortured; strapped to a chair and beaten senseless again and again. But whatever it was this guy wanted to do to him, was something completely different.

“Did they not clean this up at all? No wonder you can’t walk.” Mitch had fully intended to have some fun with him once he got him naked, but now he realized that Kel was actually injured, and his hands gently explored the wound, unable to see how bad it was under all the blood. “Alright, time to let the water drown your sorrows or whatever that song is.”

Managing a small smile Kel shook his head, “Let the water wash away your sins.”

“Oh let’s not get carried away, sins can be fun.”

“Not to me.”

“Priests don’t get to bend the rules? Even just a little?” Mitch scooped him up carrying him to the bathroom and helping him stand in the shower. He’d planned to hang out and leer at him a bit, but now he’d have to get in there and keep him from falling. The sacrifices he made for the resistance. “What’s the point of being so far up the ranks if you don’t get to abuse it?”

“No, that’s not how it works.” He rubbed at his leg as the water cascaded over him, trying to get as much blood off as he could.

“That hurt much?”

“I can’t feel it.” He poked his little finger into the wound to prove his point. “The Bliss keeps me from feeling pain.”

“What about pleasure?”

“I’m a Priest.”

“So John gets to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh and you can’t?”

“That’s not in the doctrine.”

“You’re telling me that John isn’t getting off on torture? That he isn’t using his power and position to fuck his way through the whole town? Because I know firsthand he’s doing that second one.”

Kel paused, looking down at the bloody water swirling down the drain. “John is a herald and he does as the Father wills.”

“Yeah, I’m sure Joseph is all about the doctrine of shitty tattoos, stab wounds and fucking. You’re one of the top people in this damn cult, and you still let them do this to you?” Snorting, Mitch rubbed a bar of soap between his hands and started sudsing him up, trying to understand the reasoning behind some of his tattoos. Kel tensed, but didn’t pull away, letting himself be tended to.

“Sins must be exposed, so that they can be cleansed.”

“And you’ve committed every single sin huh?” His fingers traced the word Lust carved into his arm.

“Not all of them. But many.” He awkwardly tried to scrub at his hair with his bound hands. “I don’t remember my life before the awakening.”

“Awakening?”

“When John and Faith welcomed me into their family.” He shuddered and dug his fingers into his head. He didn’t want to think about this.

“Wait. You’re saying you don’t remember anything before becoming a Priest?”

“Nothing. Kel might not even be my name.”

“Shit dude.” Mitch dropped his hands, staring at him. “That’s… What did they do to you?”

“They…” Swallowing hard Kel hunched in on himself. “Showed me the way. Freed me from sin. I’ve been born anew.”

He didn’t sound like he believed that anymore, his voice very soft and wavering. Standing naked in front of a complete stranger should have made him feel exposed and alone, but saying things he doubted out loud made him feel vulnerable in a way he’d never been before. Mitch recoiled as a dense cloud of Bliss escaped from Kel’s lips, trying to not breathe any of it in.

Kel hadn’t even realized he’d done that, an unconscious reaction when he was agitated and afraid. Self soothing through not being able to feel anything and sinking into the etherealness of the Bliss. He miserably crunched up, holding his bound hands to his chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

Knowing that the cult were a bunch of messed up psychopaths was a little different than actually seeing the aftermath of what they did to people. Mitch wasn’t sure if he entirely believed Kel, Faith was a master manipulator and this guy was so blissed up he was able to breathe it out on command. But he genuinely sounded traumatized, and if someone this far up in the hierarchy had willingly left, it must have been bad.

Mitch leaned forward, squeezing some shampoo into his hands and working it into the matted mass of hair on Kel’s head. Rinsing and reapplying, Mitch smirked a bit as Kel grunted and leaned into his fingers. So he was human under all that cultish brainwashing and desire to die.

Human contact was not something that Kel was used to. Generally the only time he touched someone was when he was shoving their heads underwater in the baptism all converts underwent. He hadn’t turned around to look, but he could imagine that Mitch was naked right now, his intentions painfully obvious even to a celibate priest. What he was doing felt pretty good though, and he was enjoying the sensation. Usually he was so numb from Bliss he couldn’t even feel temperature, but the water was hot and Mitch’s fingers were very warm. Maybe the Bliss was wearing off, it had been a few days after all.

“Alright, wash that dumb stuff off your face, and I’ll rustle up something for you to eat. I can hear your stomach over the sound of the shower.”

—

Kel curled up as tight as possible, tucking his knees against his chest as he tried not to shiver. He hadn’t been cold in years, so the sensation was almost novel and fascinating. Except he was massively uncomfortable and didn’t know what to do about it.

Mitch had fed him some leftover chicken strips, promising to get him real food in the morning. Though Kel hadn’t even been listening, so starved he would have eaten the container too if he’d been able to. Then he’d been left on the couch, a thin sheet draped over him and told to go to sleep. He’d tensed up, expecting it was a trap and as soon as he fell asleep he’d be beaten or raped, maybe both.

But it was hours later and Mitch was snoring away on the bed nearby, and the safehouse had gotten cold enough that Kel could see his breath in the dim light. He was a little amused by that, trying to breathe out smoke rings, something he’d never tried to do with Bliss and was now wondering why he hadn’t, after all these years he would have been amazing at it if he’d practiced. He’d probably never thought about it, he hadn’t really thought about much; Bliss and devoted fanaticism driving his every waking moment. There hadn’t been time for much introspection. And once he’d actually started to constructively think about what he was doing…. Well, that was why he was here in Fall’s End instead of one of the cult compounds. He squirmed, tugging on the sweatpants that Mitch had given him to wear, they were far too big for him and kept sliding down his waist.

“You still awake over there?”

Kel briefly thought about not answering, but it felt wrong, conditioned for years into being obedient. “Yes.”

“Cold?”

“I think so. I’ve not been cold before.”

“Look at you, becoming a real boy right before my eyes.” Mitch flicked on a light, grunting as he got out of bed into the chill air. “I have some far better ideas for how to warm you up, but you’ve had a long day, so radiator it is.”

He picked up the unprotesting priest, setting him down on the bed right by the heater. Turning off the light he crawled behind him, covering them both with all the blankets.

“You shouldn’t be this close to me. I probably breathe out Bliss in my sleep.”

“I’ll take the chance.” He inched as near to him as he could without touching. Sure he wanted to do more, and yes he had absolutely volunteered to take care of this guy because he wanted to fuck his brains out. But he was having some second thoughts now that it was clear that Kel was seriously messed up psychologically. “Why are you telling me that though? Shouldn’t you try and Bliss me up and escape?”

“I came here willingly, I’m not trying to escape.” He yawned, finally feeling warm and comfortable. “And I’m not going to hurt anyone ever again. That includes you, regardless of what you do to me.” He slumped against Mitch’s chest, hoping to get it over with so he could stop anxiously waiting for something terrible to happen.

Oh, he really was cold. Mitch felt a little bad about that, he should have had him in the bed to begin with. “I’m not doing anything to you. Go to sleep. Now that you don’t have all that junk on your face you look like you haven’t slept in years.”

“I’ve slept before.” Kel’s words were slurred, his body starting to go limp. He was so exhausted, a sensation he’d never noticed before. “Not in a bed, but I’ve slept.”

“Hush. Sleep.”

Kel grunted in response, pressing himself back against Mitch unthinkingly. He was so tired, so cold, so touchstarved. And for the first time in a long while he was going to sleep without the aid of Bliss. Actual sleep, not a drugged up haze to brainwash him further. He had a small smile on his face as he passed out against Mitch. This was real nice.

—

Kel woke slowly, very warm with his body kind of numb and unwilling to move. He mentally went over what he was doing that day, where he was going, what new converts they had that he needed to proselytize to, before remembering where he was. Wouldn’t be doing that anymore, and he didn’t have any reason to get up at all. Joseph had been wrong, converting people hadn’t been his purpose. He didn’t know what it was, but that wasn’t it.

Finally opening his eyes he started to get up only to freeze in place, realizing that he was squished up against Mitch’s side. His head was half on a pillow, half on Mitch’s shoulder, and his arm was draped across his stomach. Kel’s exposed chest and face heated crimson. It took him a few more seconds to realize that at some point Mitch had untied him and he hadn’t even noticed.

“Morning.” Mitch smirked down at him, tickling his side with his fingertips from where his arm was wrapped around Kel’s back. He hadn’t even positioned him like this, it had been so cold that Kel had instinctively pressed against him to leech as much heat as possible. It was already early afternoon and Mitch had been awake for a while, clicking through channels on the TV while he enjoyed having a priest in his bed.

That was pretty kinky. Even if nothing had happened between them.

“Still cold?”

Kel didn’t know what to do, so instead he did nothing, staying frozen exactly where he was. “No. I’m… fine.”

“Good.” Mitch stretched, pulling Kel further on top of him and resting his hands on the small of his back. “This would be a much better morning if your people hadn’t destroyed all the satellite receptors. I only get four channels now.”

“I didn’t think you’d get any channels. That was the point of breaking them.” Kel shifted a bit so he could see the tv, able to make out some of it since the television was so enormous. He wasn’t sure he liked how they were laying, but he couldn’t deny that he was warm and didn’t want to get up.

“You were too busy preaching, not enough time appreciating the 600 channels we used to get. So here’s our options,” Mitch cycled back to a scene of a very familiar looking bunker. “We have John’s Torture and Tattoos, everyone can watch him stab out sins onto people and then staple them to walls. He’s got a constant stream of this one room, but I think the real kinky shit is somewhere else. He wheeled someone in latex past once. Oh and sometimes he sits there and sharpens knives. It’s riveting.”

As he spoke, John himself came on screen, staring directly into the camera and giving his usual spiel about exposing sins while a bound and gagged victim struggled behind him.

“Change it. I’ve seen enough of John.” Kel winced and buried his face into Mitch’s chest.

“Next up is All Faith All the Time. She’s trying to sell Bliss as if it was an all inclusive resort. I bet if I act now she’ll even throw in some free hallucinations of Hawaii.” Mitch rolled his eyes at the same words he’d heard hundreds of times before. “You know she might be a little more successful if she mentioned the whole not being able to feel pain thing.”

“It’s not only pain, you can’t feel ANYTHING in the Bliss.”

“Ask your local peggie if Bliss is for you! Side effects include: blindness, spontaneous generation of tattoos, inability to swallow or speak, lack of orgasms, loss of memory, loss of time, and lack of personal hygiene.”

Kel frowned, “That last one is not my fault. There aren’t a lot of showers in the bunker.”

“You baptize people. All day. In rivers. Rivers are made of water.”

Kel grunted, annoyed that he had almost chuckled at that.

“Alright now we’ve got Failed Cabela’s Spokesperson Jacob. Wolves strong. Deer weak. Blah blah blah. If we’re lucky we might see Deputy Pratt piss himself. Collect on all those speeding tickets now! Asshole.” Mitch sneered, then felt a little bad about it. Jacob seemed like a grade A psychopath. “Why doesn’t Jacob just kill him?”

“He’s converting him.”

“I think it’s working.”

Kel nodded, watching the wolves on screen tear someone apart while Jacob looked on impassively.

“And then we have this which used to be some asshole on a loop reading Joseph’s gospel but Zip did something to it.” He turned the volume down as Zip’s screechy voice came over the airwaves screaming about a secret sex dungeon for the Illuminati. “I guess I shouldn’t say that, it was probably you.”

Kel actually laughed. “It wasn’t me. That’s Joseph’s priest. I don’t want to be on tv.”

“Shoulda been you, you’re much nicer to look at.”

“That’s.. not really the point.”

“It is to me.” Mitch smiled and slid his hands down Kel’s back and under his waistband. Kel wasn’t resisting, which was a good start, but he wanted him to be at least somewhat interested.

“Is that all you think about?”

Mitch shrugged, “Most of the time. If I confess my sins, will you forgive me.”

“No.”

“Aw, I’m beyond saving. Good to know.” He dug his fingers into Kel’s hips, startling out a squawk of protest.

“No one is beyond saving.” Kel shifted away, trying to avoid whatever it was Mitch was doing.

Pulling his hands back he let him go, “I’ll have to try harder then.”

“Well, you might be an exception.” He sullenly slid to the side, rolling in the blanket like a protective shell.

Mitch chuckled, “Alright, I’ll leave you alone. I want breakfast anyway.” He slid out of bed, stretching and heading over to the kitchen without bothering to put on any clothing.

Behind him Kel sighed, of course he was naked. Of course. He huffed, rolling onto his stomach and bunching up the pillow under his head so he could see the TV. Zip was currently showing images of the 'liberal scourge’ which seemed to consist of teenagers drinking coffee. Anything was better than watching one of the Seeds.

He reached his hand out, analyzing the tattoos down his arm as he contemplated his faith, or lack thereof. His entire life had been devoted to Eden’s Gate. All of it. There were no memories left of what he had been before this, totally erased by constant exposure to Bliss. And torture he supposed, but he didn’t remember it. He’d never stopped to consider how he had gotten to this state, so thoroughly entrenched in the doctrine he never questioned any of it. It had to be some combination of the drug and abuse, he didn’t remember receiving half the scars, tattoos and brands he had on his body, though John had been quick to point out he’d been favored by the Father and that was his proof.

Never thought about it. Didn’t consider it. Unquestioning blind faith. He winced, and what did he have for it? Actual blindness for a start. And a conscience being torn apart by the people he’d killed and the atrocities he’d committed. He stood up, wanting to pace around and stop thinking about this, but as soon as he got up he plopped back down. He was still exhausted, and this bed was amazing, unlike any of the mattresses he’d slept on in the compound. Mitch would be pleased to know his first sin as an ex-priest was happening now and it was Sloth.

He sprawled out, taking up the entire bed. At least he’d go to his death after a good night’s sleep. Or so he assumed the townsfolk were going to kill him, probably far quicker than he deserved considering how many of their loved ones he’d murdered. In a way he hoped Joseph’s gospel was right, then at least they wouldn’t have died in vain. But he didn’t think it was, not anymore.

His mind wandered down that path, trying to sort out what he still believed and what he didn’t. But he got off track when he smelled the scent of something sizzling from the kitchen. He couldn’t see Mitch from where he was other than a flesh colored blob, and he forced himself out of bed to go investigate. It didn’t matter what he thought anyway, he was likely hours from death and then he’d find out the truth first hand.

“What is that?”

“Waffles.” Mitch grinned, flipping the waffle iron over to cook the other side. “How’s the leg?”

“The same. Still can’t feel it. What’s a waffles?”

“Waffles. You know, pancakes full of little squares?”

Kel shook his head, having no idea what he was talking about.

“What do you normally eat?”

“I… I have no idea.” He blinked, looking at the ground. “I guess I’m usually so Blissed up I don’t remember eating.” He assumed he ate something, he wasn’t dead, but he was definitely starving so it was likely that he’d coasted along on the high of the drug without eating. No wonder he never thought about anything else, constantly weak from hunger, always drugged, and never getting a moment to really understand what he was doing.

“Well good, your very first waffle.” Mitch dished it onto a plate, smearing butter across the squared surface and pushing it towards Kel who stared at it in confusion. “I’m not poisoning you. Or drugging you to have my way with you.”

Kel stabbed the whole thing with his fork, taking a tentative bite, and then quickly devouring the rest of it in moments. “You can poison me. They’re gonna kill me anyway.”

“What about the having my way with you part?” He cheerfully leered at him, leaning across the counter. “And they’re not gonna kill you. You have all kinds of info in that bliss-filled swiss cheese brain of yours. They’ll want to keep you around.”

“You can do what you want.” He shrugged, “I’m your prisoner.”

“Is that a priest thing? Making everything sound terrible? Doom and gloom forever.”

“That’s what I’ve been preaching for years. It’ll be hard to break that habit.”

Mitch nodded, “We’ll work on it.”

“They really are going to kill me you know.”

“They really aren’t. But good news! I have several options for how to take your mind off it.”

Kel narrowed his eyes, “Do they all involve me not wearing pants?”

“You are so smart for a peggie.” Mitch came around the corner to lean suggestively over Kel. “I’m not going to victim blame here, but you are running around shirtless with a starburst tattoo leading to your dick. And yet you’re piously shocked that anyone was wanking it to you.”

Kel just stared.

“You also stand in rivers so you’re all wet and glistening.”

There was no response from the priest who’s facial expression was stuck somewhere between embarrassed, offended, and disgusted.

“Let the water wash away your sins right?”

“That’s not what the song is about!”

“But it could be! We could make it about that right now. Free will! Choose your own fate! We could make the nighttime last forever, while the days are cruel and mean.”

Kel groaned and leaned his forehead against Mitch’s shoulder, “Do whatever you want to me, just stop quoting that song.”

“I like you, so agreeable.” He wrapped an arm around Kel, pulling him up against his naked body.

“You know I won’t be able to feel any of this right?”

“Hmm? Wait why not?”

Pulling back, Kel grabbed Mitch’s hand and put it on his chest. “I told you, I can’t feel anything. I can’t feel your hand right now.”

“At all?”

“A little bit because it’s warm.”

“Sounds like a challenge!” Mitch slid his hands down Kel’s chest and into his sweatpants. “You tell me when you feel something, and then I’ll make it the best day of your life.”

“Last day of my life.”

“Well you don’t want to die a virgin do you?”

“Stop talking.”

“Alright alright.” He maneuvered Kel back onto the bed, pushing him down and arranging him to his liking. Tugging Kel’s sweats off he eyed him hungrily before running his palm over the tattoo right above his crotch.

Kel glared, “Don’t say anything.”

“I’m not! I’m being so good and silent right now and I’ll have you know it’s taking all my concentration.” To shut himself up he leaned forward to drag his tongue from Kel’s starburst tattoo and up to his ear.

That wasn’t at all what Kel was expecting and he didn’t know how to react. He could feel Mitch’s tongue, but it didn’t feel particularly good or bad. This was going to be very awkward if he lay there stiffly while Mitch fucked him, especially since he didn’t know where to put his hands or what to do with his legs. He squirmed when Mitch started to stroke him, very uncomfortable with this situation.

“I’m not going to hurt you. And don’t say you can’t feel pain, I mean I’m not going to do anything that could hurt you.”

Kel’s eyes flicked up towards Mitch, noticing the change in his voice: a little less cocky, softer, more earnest. He reached up to put his hands on Mitch’s side, trying to concentrate on the sensation of his warm skin against his fingertips. “Shouldn’t you though? Don’t I deserve it?”

“This isn’t your penance and I am not your judge.” He bit at the side of Kel’s neck. “This is me welcoming you to the resistance. Showing you the other side of things.”

Kel smiled softly, Mitch was something else. His cocky attitude was almost endearing. Almost. “You’re so helpful.”

“I try.” He palmed Kel’s length, fingers stretching down to fondle him. There was a little bit of reaction from Kel, though he assumed it was more from surprise then pleasure. He’d finally gotten Kel to relax into the bed when there was an obnoxious beeping and crackling noise from the counter. Kel instantly tensed up and pulled away and Mitch cursed at the timing. Nipping at Kel’s side he got up from the bed, pushing his erection down. “Stay here, I’ll be back.”

Rolling to the side Kel looked at his groin, reaching down to touch himself. He might not have been able to really feel what Mitch was doing to him, but his body had responded anyway. He actually snickered, his body was sinful even though it was covered in images of piety.

“Of course he’s still here.” Mitch was slumped by the counter, holding a walkie talkie up to his ear, the crackling voice on the other end barely audible. “Yeah okay. Right now? Right right. See ya.”

“Are they coming for me?”

“Yeah. I guess you should get pants on.” Mitch sat back on the bed, looking annoyed.

“Cheer up, if they don’t kill me I’ll probably be trapped in bed healing from two broken legs and you can do what you want.”

“Ha ha very funny.” Mitch shoved at him as he crawled off the bed to grab his clothes. “Look at you being all positive. I’m a good influence on you already.”

After pulling his pants back on, Kel sat there patiently, waiting to be taken away. Mitch eyed him, unsure how he could be so calm when he thought he was going to his death. They wouldn’t kill him, Mitch was pretty sure, but there was the nagging doubt that Kel might die in the next few hours. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. And for once not because he hadn’t gotten to bone him yet.

He paced a bit after Kel was taken away, having been blindfolded and led out of the safehouse. Mitch had tried to follow them but they’d forced him to stay behind, saying they’d bring Kel back. But with a smile that was not reassuring at all.

Kel clearly wanted to die, thinking he deserved it. Maybe he did, Mitch tried to think about it rationally, Kel had killed people, a few that he’d known personally and who knew how many else. But had it really been a conscious decision or had it been due to the Bliss? He supposed it didn’t matter in the eyes of people who had lost loved ones.

Sighing he flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. This day hadn’t gone as planned. He’d hoped for a blissed out compliant partner, which Kel sort of was, but then he also had to deal with the fact that the priest was very traumatized and Mitch wasn’t a rapist. His understanding of consent was dubious at best, but he wasn’t going to force Kel to do anything.

He wasn’t that hard up for sex.

—

Kel stumbled over his feet as he was led back to Mitch’s safehouse. Or he assumed that’s where they were going. Secretly he hoped it was. He’d only known the man for a day but he was the only stability that Kel had since his life had fallen into shambles. Right now dick jokes would be a welcome respite from being lost in his own thoughts.

His shoulders ached from the way he’d been strapped to a chair while they questioned him. He’d been beaten a bit, but nothing like he’d expected, he’d have been happier if they’d strung him up like Jacob’s sacrifices. It was what he deserved. Instead they’d asked him simple questions, making him relive everything he’d done and inadvertently mentally torturing him in a way he was completely unprepared for.

If they wouldn’t give him the death he deserved maybe he should do it himself. Spiraling further into his suicidal thoughts he hadn’t even heard the exchange between his captors and Mitch as he was shoved harshly and fell to his knees, the blindfold removed.

“He’s all yours Mitch. Have fun.”

The snarky comment that Mitch had queued up didn’t make it out of his throat as he looked down at Kel hunched up on his floor. He silently closed the door behind them kneeling next to him.

“Hey, you okay?”

“The Father is testing me. To see if I can end myself when no one else will. To bring about some good, by my own death.”

Mitch blinked. “Alright then. How about instead of that you do literally anything else.” He put his hand on Kel’s shoulder, trying to get him to look at him.

“I’ve committed atrocities in his name. It ends now, I am not his hands!” Kel seemed to not even be aware of Mitch next to him, staggering to his feet and staring around him.

“Yeah. Okay, no.” Mitch grabbed at Kel’s middle, dragging him up against him and holding him tightly. He was significantly bulkier than Kel, and was able to incapacitate the malnourished priest easily. “I have no idea what you’re talking about but you’re not killing yourself.”

Kel didn’t resist, closing his eyes and letting his arms drop to the side. “Why not? It’d be better for everyone.”

“Well for starters because then I’d be holding a dead guy and I don’t want to do that. Your corpse will attract badgers outside my door. Also you probably explode into Bliss on death and if I’m going to see Faith I should put on my good cologne.”

“That really is all you think about isn’t it?”

“One hundred percent.”

Defeated Kel sagged against Mitch. “Are you naked right now?”

“Shockingly, no. But I can be if you’d like to take your mind off whatever it is that’s bothering you.”

“I murdered innocent people.”

“Yeah that.” He let him go, ready to grab him again should he try and bash his head into the wall or something. “You’re a priest, what would you tell someone who wanted to kill themselves?”

There was a pause while Kel honestly thought about it. “That there are ways to atone and still be welcomed into Eden’s Gate after the collapse. Every person is essential to the cause.”

“See? You’re still essential to the cause. Plus dying means that John wins and no one wants that.”

Narrowing his eyes he glared at Mitch, “You fight dirty.”

“Of course I do. I do everything dirty, which you would have found out if we hadn’t been so rudely interrupted.” He led Kel to the couch and coaxed him into sitting down. He had his normal smug grin, but his eyes were softer, analyzing Kel’s frame and looking for injuries. “Are you okay though? Did they actually torture you?”

“I’m okay.” He ran his fingers through his hair, leaning back against the couch so he could look up at the ceiling. “Pastor Jerome only gave them two minutes alone with me.”

“Lemme take a look. You might be gushing blood all over my couch and not even know it.”

Kel complied, wriggling out of his pants, “You just want me to be naked.”

“I do, but I also don’t want you to be wandering around with a bunch of broken bones.” He slid his hands over Kel’s skin with surprising gentleness from someone who seemed to think entirely with his dick.

“Why do you care? I’m the enemy.”

“No you’re not. You’re part of the resistance now.” He got up to get his first aid kit, there was a nasty gash on Kel’s ankle that needed some attention. “First you need to heal up. Then we reintegrate you to society. Go get drinks at the spread eagle. I heard the deputy found Cheeseburger, we could go sneak him some treats. What do peggies do in their free time?”

“Listen to Joseph’s gospel. As John’s priest, accept the will of the Father through him.”

Mitch stopped and looked up at him. “Is that some sort of euphemism for..”

“NO!” Kel cut him off, kicking him in the chest.

“Okay but you know what that sounds like right?”

“Not until I met you I didn’t.”

Mitch shook his head, leaning forward again to bandage up Kel’s ankle. “Probably best for you that it wasn’t a euphemism. He’s not good in bed anyway. No stamina.” He smirked at Kel’s glare. “Alright, I’ll stop. Is that all you did? Sounds boring.”

“I think so. I don’t remember all of it. I read the holy book every evening. I helped converts find their place within the Gate. I did as I was told and never questioned.”

Tying up the bandage Mitch sat down next to him, arm around his shoulder to drag him close. Kel awkwardly leaned against him, clearly unsure what to do with his arms when lounging like this. “How much Bliss has been pumped into you? Of course you didn’t question, that’s what that shit does.”

“That’s an excuse.”

“No it’s not. You can breathe it out like a fog machine. You’re almost an Angel.”

He stiffened up immediately, his fingers digging into Mitch’s leg, “That’s why I left.” His voice was very low, almost inaudible.

“They weren’t going to do that to you were they?” He sounded concerned, pulling a blanket over Kel so he wasn’t having this conversation while he was naked. “You’re a Priest!”

“I’m only as good as the service I provide. I’m blind without Bliss, and a blind priest serves no one.”

“But you can see through the Bliss?”

“Yes, but if you stay in the Bliss too long, you never come back.” He shuddered. “I should welcome it, be part of the Bliss forever, together with the Father. Welcomed into Eden.”

Mitch wasn’t entirely following, but he was definitely horrified, “Is that how they make the angels? Keep them in the Bliss?”

“Yes. The bliss is perfect, no one wants to leave it. So they stay, but their body remains and can be used without them. They’re dead. They just don’t know it yet.”

“And you didn’t want that to happen to you.”

Kel curled up, wiping at his face, “I’m a coward. A coward and a traitor and a defector and a murderer.”

Oh. Mitch was not prepared for this at all. He pulled Kel into his lap, wrapping him in a hug and trying to think of something to say to get him to stop crying. He’d never seen a grown man cry before and he was frantic to fix it, “You’re not a coward. Who’d want to be a zombie?”

“It would serve the cause.” His fingers found Mitch’s shirt, bunching the fabric in his fists.

“Well it’s not gonna happen now.” He stroked Kel’s back, smiling a little as he felt him relax into his chest. Progress. “I’ll be your seeing-eye-person. Help you find food and the bed and such.”

Kel snuffled a bit, “And never help me find my clothes?”

“Exactly.” He tucked the blanket tighter around Kel, scooping him up and carrying him over to the bed. “Look at that, you’re already naked, I’m doing so well at this already.” He pulled the covers over Kel, stretching his leg out and putting a pillow under it.

A soft sound escaped Kel, nearly a moan, going straight to Mitch’s dick even during this serious conversation. He fought down the urge to jump him right now, because even he realized it was not the time for his normal shenanigans.

“Your bed is the most comfortable thing I’ve ever laid on.”

“Memory foam.” Mitch flipped on the tv, switching it over to the DVD player so that they’d have some background noise. “It doesn’t jiggle when you bounce on it.” He slid into the bed next to Kel, pointedly not removing his pants because he could control himself. He better get a goddamn award from the people of Fall’s End for how much restraint he’d shown.

Kel started to lean towards him, ready to curl up on his side, but Mitch put a hand on his stomach to keep him in place.

“Stay there, your ankle is really swollen, try to not move it.” Stretching, Mitch sidled up next to him. He may not be getting any action, but he still wanted to be as close as possible. “This is step one of your conversion back into a normal person: Naps in the middle of the day. We can check sloth off your list of sins to commit.”

“Mmph.” Kel was already drifting off, crashing hard after having a very traumatic few hours.

“Atta boy.”

—

The next day was much more pleasant. Kel had taken another shower, trimmed his beard, and spent a good amount of time dragging a comb through his matted hair. Mitch had left him alone for an hour or so while he went and got food and clothes that would fit the slender priest. He’d grudgingly cuffed him to the bed, not because he thought Kel would run off, but because Kel had insisted that Faith might realize he’d left of his own will and take matters into her own hands.

But that hadn’t happened and Kel was happily eating a frozen dinner while clad in a shirt advertising the pumpkin farm. He looked a lot more normal when wearing clothes; with the tattoos covered he looked like every other resident in the valley. Which was another odd point, no one seemed to recognize this guy. Almost everyone around had lived here their whole life and knew everyone else for miles, yet not a single person could identify Kel as their former neighbor or even as someone they’d passed occasionally on the highway.

Mitch hadn’t brought it up, he didn’t want to make Kel dwell on the past. Especially since it was a tenuous balance to keep him from sinking into suicidal depression when he thought about the people he’d killed. Kel didn’t remember much of what he’d done anyway, only the aftermath of seeing the deaths. The Bliss that controlled him had been responsible, but Kel had been the one to carry out the deed. And how he hated himself for it.

But he wasn’t thinking about that now, engrossed in his food and the movie that Mitch had put on. He’d never actually relaxed before, nor had any time to himself. He could get used to this whole Sloth thing. Mitch was laying next to him, sprawled out on couch and plotting his next move for how to get Kel on his back. Kel was innocently unaware of that, eyes flicking between his food and the movie, the tv big enough that he could see the majority of what was happening, but not the finer details.

It had been almost a week since Kel had last dosed himself with Bliss, something he’d done willingly for years. How else would he get closer to heaven on earth? But he hadn’t this past Sunday, by accident honestly, he’d been sitting near one of their makeshift open air churches contemplating the doctrine. But more importantly trying to remember at what cost all this had come at. He wasn’t a violent man, not sure he could even defend himself if he was attacked. The gun on his back had been for show, he’d have been as likely to shoot his fellow congregation as the enemies. He still wasn’t sure why they’d given a blind man a weapon, seeing through the Bliss only went so far. Honestly he didn’t even know if the thing had been loaded

Since then his sensation of being able to feel temperature had returned, and when he went to put his hand on Mitch’s shoulder he could not only feel warmth but the texture of his shirt beneath his fingers. That was also new. He still couldn’t feel the injury to his leg, nor be aroused by Mitch stroking him, and his eyesight had actually gotten worse; but he’d take it. Existing in reality wasn’t pleasant, but it at least felt right.

He set the empty tray down on the table, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand as he watched the action on screen, “Why are they destroying all these cars? They could use them.”

“That’s what their million dollar budgets are for: pyrotechnics and smashed cars.”

“Wasteful.”

“Yep. That’s the American way. Or Australian in this case.” Mitch stretched, sitting up so he could pull Kel into his lap.

Kel squawked and tried to pull away, “You’re making me miss what’s happening!”

“Eh, we can watch it again. Movies are great times to get frisky! You should be thankful I didn’t make popcorn and cut a hole in the bag.”

It took Kel a few confused moments to get what Mitch was referencing before he screwed up his face and shoved at him. “You are so gross.”

Mitch laughed and pulled back, letting Kel get away from him. “I can’t help myself.”

Kel sat on the far side of the couch, looking towards Mitch oddly.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Why don’t you rape me and get it over with?”

Mitch frowned, his voice lowered and less jovial, “Because I don’t want to rape you. I want you to be into it.”

“Why?”

“The hell you mean 'why’? Because I’m not a rapist that’s why.”

Now he sounded angry and Kel braced himself to be hit. When that didn’t come he awkwardly crawled a little closer, hoping to placate Mitch.

“Don’t do that.” Mitch held his arm out, keeping Kel away from him. “I’m not John, not gonna punish you for disobedience.”

“I know you’re not John. You’re not cruel or malicious enough to be him.” Kel sat back, almost wishing that Mitch would punish him. He didn’t deserve how nice the man was being to him. “I’m glad you’re not. Never want to see him again.”

“We’ll keep you at least three feet away from him at all times and then you never will.” Mitch couldn’t stay in a bad mood for more than a few minutes. “I’ll leave you alone, you’ve had a rough few days.”

Kel slid next to him, leaning his head onto Mitch’s shoulder, “Thank you.”

Mitch sighed softly and wrapped an arm around him. Going slow was not his style, but Kel was definitely amenable to being cuddled, so that was a start. Not that Mitch ever cuddled, or had anyone around for more than a few hours. This was already the longest he’d ever let anyone stay at his place.

Later on, carrying the sleepy Kel to bed, Mitch fought down the urge to strip him again in hopes of getting some in the morning. Though his resolve was tested when Kel reached out for him and pressed up against his side, muttering about how warm he was.

“This okay?”

Startled that Kel was actually awake, Mitch looked over at him, “Course. You can lay there.”

“Oh.”

“You act like you’ve never touched anyone before.”

“I haven’t.”

“Never?” Mitch turned to face him. “Not even like… hugs? Or high fives or something?”

“No.” Kel squirmed, warm breath against Mitch’s neck. “It’s weak. Not allowed.”

“That’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard. And I actually listened to Faith for a full hour.” He held Kel tight, resting his chin on the top of his head. “Well I’m here for all your touching needs. Anywhere you’d like.”

Kel snorted, “Maybe later.”

Inwardly Mitch cheered. That wasn’t a flat out no.

—

The streets of Fall’s End were crowded, people gathering for a town hall at the church. Roadblocks and lookouts were posted at all the feasible entrances to defend against cultists who might seek to take them out when they were all together in one place. But the mood was hopeful, they’d struck some blows against the peggies recently. That rookie deputy had been doing good work liberating outposts.

Kel obediently followed Mitch into the back of the church, standing against the wall next to him. It was one of the few times he was glad he couldn’t see more than a foot away, he couldn’t tell if everyone there was staring at him or not. He’d been living with Mitch for nearly a week now, and he wasn’t nearly as set on dying as he had been previously. There were some things worth living for. Like naps and chicken wings. Also the friendly dog that had followed him in and sat at his feet. Now that he wasn’t drowning in Bliss he was able to appreciate the little things like that.

Glaring out at the gathered residents, Mitch protectively stood in front of Kel who was hunched over skritching the ears of a brownish hound dog. They’d taken him away a few more times to question him, but since that first time he hadn’t been injured in any way. He’d said they hadn’t even tied him up. The information that he’d given them had been helpful, but incomplete; his brain so fractured from Bliss with big chunks of memory missing.

He was especially keeping an eye on Sammy, the woman who’d smacked Kel in the head with a shovel previously. Mitch knew she was eager to kill him, thinking the only good peggie was a dead one. But she just glanced at them before taking a seat. That was odd, maybe Kel had given them some real good info and she didn’t think he was a threat anymore.

Though it was hard to be intimidated by a blind guy cooing over a dog. Kel gave the pup a final pat as his owner called him back over, standing up and trying to figure out what was going on. He was tense, expecting to be attacked, and he tried to scrunch as far into the corner as he could.

Nick Rye nodded at them, tossing Kel a plaid jacket with the airfield logo on it, “Try looking a little less like a peggie.”

Kel looked at it, stunned, “Thank you.” With the jacket on the majority of his tattoos were covered up, and the only reminder that he was a member of Eden’s Gate were his eyes. He tucked his hands into the pockets, covering up those knuckle tattoos.

“Look more normal already.”

Pastor Jerome started the meeting by leading them in a prayer. Mitch rolled his eyes, having no use for religion of any kind, but Kel closed his and bowed his head, enjoying the familiarity of a congregation even if the words were different.

There was a discussion among everyone about how best to strike back at the cultist threat. Almost all the ideas sounded suicidal to Kel who knew the outposts were far more guarded than these people were imagining. Not to mention charging through a field of Bliss would be the worst idea.

At least a few of them were well aware that these were not good plans at all.

“Priest, what would you do to get past these defenses?”

Kel blinked, having hoped everyone had forgotten about him, “If you want to get close to the outpost, you need to get rid of the Bliss. Either destroying it or cutting off their supply.”

Tilting her head thoughtfully, Sammy analyzed Kel, “Can you walk through the field?”

“I could.”

“So let’s send in this Priest, he walks through the Bliss and turns the alarms off.”

Kel looked down at the ground, not wanting to be anywhere near Bliss ever again. “I suppose.”

Mitch spoke up for the first time, not liking this idea, “They know he’s gone, won’t they notice him randomly showing up a week later?”

“They think we kidnapped him. He can say he escaped.”

The discussion went back and forth for a while before Kel found his voice again. “If there’s enough Bliss, or if I’m in it too long, I might forget what I’m there for.”

Which was putting it mildly, he might forget who these people were, might turn and attack them, might kill himself, Faith might drag him down into the Bliss never to return. He didn’t like any of these options.

“Go straight for the alarms. Shouldn’t be a problem.” Spoken with the confidence of someone who didn’t understand Bliss at all and had never seen its effects.

“They’re gonna shoot him when they realize what’s happening.”

“So long as it’s after he deals with the alarms, I don’t care.”

There was a scuffle and some yelling as Mitch almost hauled off and punched Sammy in the face. Kel was shoved back into the corner as the other members of the congregation pulled the two of them apart. He couldn’t see that far and had no idea what was happening, but someone had their hand on his chest holding him against the wall as if they thought he would leap into the fray.

“What’s happening?” His eyes were flicking around, trying to see. Were they under attack?

“Mitch and Sammy are fighting.”

“Is it bad?”

“Got broken up pretty quickly. Can you not see that?”

He looked towards the voice talking to him incredulously, “I’m blind.”

“I thought that was some sort of religious metaphor. You actually can’t see?”

“I can see … to here.” He held his hands about a foot in front of his face.

“Oh.” The hand was removed and the woman came closer, peering at Kel’s eyes. “How are you going to turn alarms off if you can’t see them?”

He recoiled a bit, thinking at first she was the woman who’d hit him with the shovel, “I can see in the Bliss. But it comes with other problems. I might not be seeing what’s real. And worse Faith will be able to see me.”

“Is that bad? What does that mean?”

Pastor Jerome broke in, “It means that she’ll be able to control him. Isn’t that right Kel?”

Kel hadn’t noticed that the room had quieted down, everyone looking at the two of them conversing. “Yes.” He shuddered, huddling into the collar of his new jacket.

“Well that sounds like a terrible plan.”

“It might be the best plan we have. We need to strike back and having someone who can get in unnoticed is a resource we shouldn’t squander.”

Kel nodded miserably, wondering if this was his penance. Instead of being tortured to death he’d be sent back into the Bliss where he would either be killed or lose himself forever. That almost seemed fitting considering what he’d done to people in the past.

However; Mitch was not pleased with this turn of events, grumbling under his breath the whole way back to his truck after the meeting had broken up. “You shouldn’t agree to this.”

“Why not? I need to atone for my acts.”

“You didn’t know what you were doing. This is you knowing full well you could die from this.” Or worse, but he wasn’t going to say that, glaring at the road as he drove back to the safehouse.

“But I still did it.” He rubbed the side of his hand where he had hashmarks for each person he’d drowned for refusing to accept John’s gospel.

“Did you want to?”

“I… I mean at the time I guess? Well no. I didn’t want to, I felt obligated to. It seemed the only reasonable option.”

“That’s the Bliss talking.”

“Maybe.”

“You could have killed me a bunch of times and haven’t yet. And I am blaspheming at least thirty times an hour. So it’s got to be the Bliss or I’d be dead already. I also once told Faith she was a shitty Lilith Fair leftover, and I’m sure she’d have made you disembowel me if she could.” He parked at the foot of the hill the safehouse was nestled into, helping Kel out of the car and making sure he didn’t fall while traversing the woody terrain. “And boy was she mad.”

“She pulled you into the Bliss? How did you get out?”

“There’s nothing there I want. I turned around and walked away. She was pissed as hell.”

“Wh- but how?”

“You know what the Bliss isn’t full of? Sex and food and memory foam beds.” Mitch shrugged, playing off a fairly terrifying experience as if it was no big deal. “And reality has that. Lots of it.”

“Most people can’t walk out of the Bliss.”

Mitch turned as soon as they were inside, pinning Kel to the wall, “I’m not most people.”

“I’ve noticed.” Instead of recoiling Kel leaned forward and wrapped Mitch up in a hug.

Not exactly what he was going for, but he embraced him back. “You walk out of it all the time.”

“I’m a priest.” For the first time Kel looked smug about that. “If I stay in the Bliss how can I minister to people?”

“So you know the insider secrets on how to get out of it?”

“Yes, but not from Faith herself.”

“You need to like being here in reality, more than the Bliss. And not want what she offers.”

Kel looked ashamed, “But I do want it.”

“More than this lavish life of luxury?” He gestured to the small safehouse.

“You’re not being serious about this.”

“Of course not.” He maneuvered Kel over to the bed, crawling in behind him and cuddling up to his back. “Though I’ll have you know getting this bed in here was expensive as hell.”

“Worth it.”

“Well you’re the first one to enjoy it. I don’t normally bring people back to my safehouse. But this is the best place to keep you since John is looking for you. When all this fucking cult nonsense dies down you can try out the bed in my cabin. It’s much nicer.” Not that he’d skimped on stocking this place, just in case. But 'come back to my safehouse and stare at cinderblocks’ wasn’t a pickup line he’d ever had success with.

“Nicer than this?”

“I’ve got nothing but compliments on it.”

Kel twisted around to look at Mitch, “Are you gonna keep me around that long?”

Forcibly nonchalant, Mitch shrugged, “That’s the plan.”

“I look forward to meeting the other bed.” He brought his hands up to rest on Mitch’s chest, eyes flicking over him.

“That all?”

Kel hesitated, then leaned up to kiss him, soft and tentative.

Never one to be caught off guard when a sexual opportunity presented itself, Mitch didn’t even miss a beat, threading his fingers into Kel’s hair to pull him closer. His tongue gently found it’s way into Kel’s mouth, exploring the bliss-tainted warmth.

The Priest seemed to realize that at the same moment, pulling back, “I uh.. you shouldn’t…”

“It’ll be fine.” He slid his hands into Kel’s shirt pulling it off and tossing it to the side. He was still in awe of the stupid tattoos adorning Kel’s torso, especially given how empty it made his legs look without any.

Reciprocating the gesture, Kel tugged off Mitch’s shirt, hands rubbing along his chest. He couldn’t really feel it, but the warmth was nice. And the kissing had felt oddly tingly, but that might have been due to the Bliss ever present inside him. He submissively rolled onto his back, letting Mitch strip him down, eyes roving over him as if trying to memorize his every contour.

Mitch laid at his side, kissing him again as he reached down to stroke him erect; Kel’s body still responded to stimulus even if the man couldn’t feel it. Like his brain knew what was happening but wasn’t broadcasting what his nerves could feel. That would make this a little more complicated as Mitch didn’t know what would make this good for him.

Deepening the kiss, Kel squirmed to try and get closer. What he could feel was their body heat and he wanted all of it. This was more for Mitch, he was giving him what he wanted, knowing that he wasn’t going to get much out of this encounter. Or he assumed anyway, he only had a vague understanding of sex.

Mitch rolled away, startling Kel who reached out for him, wondering if he’d done something wrong. He dug around in a box under the bed for a few moments before returning with a small bottle, “I’m so happy that past me thought ahead and stocked this place.”

“What is that?”

“Lube, basically a bottle of magic. And if past me was smarter he would have gotten the warming kind. You’d like that better.” Squeezing some onto his fingers he reached between Kel’s legs, pressing and probing. “Relax. I won’t hurt you.”

Kel grunted, trying to relax and adjust his position on the bed to be more.. well, open for Mitch.

Taking the opportunity Mitch leaned forward and licked him from base to tip as his finger slid inside. Kel jerked a little, but otherwise didn’t respond. He was fairly tense, nervous and unsure, sliding his hands around Mitch’s shoulders because he didn’t know what to do.

“Let me know if you can feel any of this, otherwise I’m not killing my jaw on you.”

Kel started to respond, leaning up to look at Mitch, before Mitch engulfed him, warm tongue sliding around his cock. Instead he made a startled sound, falling back down, and digging his fingers into Mitch’s shoulder. He could definitely feel that.

Somehow Mitch managed to smirk with his mouth full of dick, well that was a good start. He wasn’t about to gag on him, but he bobbed his head in time to his pistoning fingers, getting Kel to close his eyes and clench one hand in the blanket. He had multiple fingers in Kel now, and curling them forward wasn’t producing any effect in Kel’s breathing. Mitch was pretty sure he couldn’t feel what was happening there, but his tongue was getting some pretty decent responses.

He slid off him with a wet popping noise, causing Kel to groan. Mitch smiled, “Feel that?”

“Y-yes. That’s..” Kel trailed off with a panted huff, wanting more and not knowing how to get it.

“Good. We’ll come back to that after I rest my jaw some.” He rubbed the side of his face, already starting to ache.

Kel whined, reaching out for him.

“What’s that Priest? Would you like some more sin?”

Grunting Kel surged up and dragged Mitch down to him, shoving his tongue deep into his mouth and effectively shutting him up for once.

Caught off guard, Mitch nearly fell on him, but he didn’t pull away, chuckling deep in his chest. Oh this was better than he’d expected. Reaching back he shifted Kel’s legs around him, kneeling between them. Though he finished kissing him thoroughly first, Kel seemed to like that and he wasn’t opposed to giving him what he wanted.

Eventually he backed off, rubbing his hands along Kel’s thighs. “Tell me if this hurts, okay?”

Kel nodded, propping himself up on his elbow so he could see what was happening, also a little nervous about the size of the thing that was about to be inside him. “Is it supposed to hurt?”

“Not if I’ve stretched you out enough it shouldn’t.” He lined himself up, slowly thrusting inside, watching Kel’s body language for any indication that he was hurting him. There was basically no reaction from Kel, who was starting to get awkward and uncomfortable again. “Nothing, huh?”

“I’m sorry. I..” He didn’t know what to do. Was this supposed to feel good? It didn’t. Didn’t hurt either, but basically felt odd and gave him a weird sensation of heaviness.

“Don’t apologize.” Mitch’s breath went short and he re-situated himself, closing his eyes briefly. He was trying to not pound Kel into the mattress, restraining himself to shallower thrusts. If he couldn’t feel this then he couldn’t tell if it was hurting, and the last thing Mitch wanted was to accidentally injure him. But it was hard, Kel was everything that got him hot and he was so turned on by Kel’s willingness even while not getting anything out of it. “You’re good. Fuck, you’re fine.”

Well at least Mitch seemed to be enjoying this, going silent for the first time ever and huffing out panting breaths against Kel’s throat as he leaned down to kiss him. Kel arched into it, digging his hands into Mitch’s shoulders so he could keep the friction of their chests rubbing together. However; his legs were getting tired, he wrapped them around Mitch’s waist, letting them rest against his back.

Mitch moaned, snapping his hips hard against Kel’s ass. One of his hands went back to dig into Kel’s thigh, keeping him in place as his thrusts got deeper and more erratic.

That was probably a good sign, and Kel kept his hands roving over the man’s back, closing his eyes and enjoying the warm sliding of skin on skin. Eventually Mitch shuddered, falling a little forward and leaning his head into Kel’s shoulder, panting hard. Kel dropped his legs, contentedly nuzzling against Mitch’s shaved head.

That wasn’t bad at all, Kel wasn’t sure what he’d been so nervous about. Other than the faint awkwardness of Mitch getting off on something Kel couldn’t feel. The warmth and the friction were nice though, he’d enjoyed that. Closing his eyes he tried to shift them onto their sides so he could cuddle and fall asleep.

“Oh no you don’t.” Getting up on his hands and knees Mitch grinned. “I’m not done with you yet.”

Kel grunted in confusion, not understanding as Mitch backed up and slid his mouth down over his dick. Oh. Kel collapsed, hips thrusting a bit into Mitch’s face. He was reacting to the warmth more than the sensation of what Mitch was doing, but the result was the same and he exploded after not much time at all.

Still enough to give Mitch a sore jaw, Kel wasn’t exactly small, but he happily flopped out next to him, ignoring the twinges of his jaw muscles. “Told you I wasn’t done.”

“Mmph.” Kel squirmed, trying to get comfortable now that his legs were twitching and he felt weirdly exhausted.

Mitch rubbed Kel’s chest, “Most people tell me it’s better afterwards if you lay on your stomach.”

“All your past conquests?”

“Hey now, that’s not it at all. I’m not keeping a list. Though if I was, corrupting a priest would be at the top.”

Kel snorted, rolling over onto his stomach and folding his arms under his head.

Voice softening, Mitch continued, “That’s not… Hn.” He’d started to say that wasn’t what he meant, but that was exactly what he meant. And it wasn’t like sex was some special thing to him, not after he’d happily fucked his way through half the county already. But this was Kel’s first time, and he didn’t need to kill the high of the moment immediately like he often did. “Next time you can sit on top of me and get me all squirmy and moaning. How about that?”

“Will it get you to be quiet?”

“Depends on how good you are.” He smiled, laying on his side and stroking Kel’s back. “I believe in the strength of your doctrine.”

Groaning Kel threw the pillow at him.

—

Kel shivered a bit, being shirtless in the early morning air wasn’t very comfortable now that he could actually feel temperature. A good distance behind him the small party of townspeople were hiding in a ditch waiting for the alarms to be disarmed before starting their assault. There was a huge field of bliss flowers leading into the area and the small structure at the back was surrounded by a pool of bliss-tainted water steaming an unhealthy shade of green.

There was a single angel staggering down the road, obviously wandered off from tending a field and was still holding a garden hoe. Kel walked right up to him, putting his hands on the Angel’s shoulders and leaning forehead to forehead. Breathing out a cloud of Bliss, Kel tried to see the Angel in the otherworldly realm, focusing on where the body and soul had become disjointed.

Completely inaudible to the people watching, but loud and clear in the Bliss, Kel gave the Angel his Last Rites, whispering the words with reverence. The metal hoe clattered to the ground and he stepped back, removing his hands and watching impassively as the Angel dropped dead in the street.

“Go in peace my friend.”

Behind him the fighting squad all looked at each other in confusion and surprise, having seen what looked like Kel killing someone by just touching them. There were definitely forces at work far beyond their understanding here.

Turning back towards his goal, Kel walked into the field of Bliss, disappearing from view. The fighters would have to wait, all hell would break loose once he disabled the alarm system. Assuming he did that and didn’t join back up with his brethren. Mitch didn’t think that was likely at all, but what did he know, he wasn’t even there, forced to stay behind and guard the road since he had one of the few trucks with mounted guns.

They needn’t have worried, not only did the speakers stop blasting obnoxious gospel, but suddenly the field ignited. Kel creating quite a distraction by lighting the bliss on fire. In the resulting chaos it was easy for the resistance to swarm in, running through the field as quickly as possible, and taking down the remaining peggies without the threat of reinforcements coming any time soon.

“Oh I like this guy. We gotta keep him.”

“Shut up Sharky.”

After the gunfire died down, they fanned out to look for any hostages or remaining cultists.

“Spence! Get over here and help me.” Sammy was kneeling on the ground next to Kel who was convulsing violently. “Hold his feet.”

“Jesus, what’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know.”

Kel’s nose started to bleed, and he made some choking noises as he seizured and struggled. 

Sharky came up behind them, reloading his shotgun, “Aw c'mon, he can’t get turned into an Angel now, then I gotta light him up.”

“Is that what’s happening to him? Kel? Can you hear me?”

“No no no. I’m not.. there’s nothing I want here. Nothing I want.” He started to pant, straining against something that wasn’t there. “You’re a liar! It was never about the doctrine, you wanted devoted followers for yourself. You’re not a herald, you’re a manipulator and a drug dealer.”

Spence looked at Sammy, whispering “Faith.”

She nodded, her hand on Kel’s shoulder to hold him down as he thrashed, “We should shoot him. If she can control him…”

Kel suddenly lunged forward shoving at a non-existant entity. It weirdly looked like it connected, his arm reacting as if he’d hit something. He unintelligibly yelled as he was shoved back down, continuing to writhe.

“No way! We’re not gonna shoot him. He’s great. I think he punched her.” Spence knelt down to tie Kel’s wrists together. There was definitely a danger from Faith making him attack them, but Kel sounded like he wasn’t going to let that happen. “If you seriously just punched Faith, you’re my hero and we should throw you a goddamn parade. Good luck in there buddy.”

Kel was still yelling and struggling, but his voice had changed, it almost sounded like he was really far away. Abruptly he went totally limp, his eyes staring straight ahead. He was still breathing, but he looked dead and didn’t react to Sammy shaking him.

“What’s happening to him?”

“Aw man.”

“I dunno. Let’s get him away from all this Bliss, maybe he’ll wake up.”

But Kel didn’t wake up, even when he was laid on the floor of the church, Mitch kneeling worriedly at his side. His eyes were open but clearly not seeing anything, and he was nonreactive to any stimulus.

“He fucking told you this would happen.”

“What exactly IS happening?”

“He’s becoming an Angel right?” Sharky was sitting on the ground with his chin in his hands. “That sucks.”

“Why’s he not moving then? He killed an Angel earlier and that guy was wandering around.”

Mitch looked up in surprise, “He killed someone?”

“Walked right up to this Angel, put his hands on his shoulders and the guy just keeled right over. Didn’t even hit him or nothin’.” Spence rocked back and forth on his toes, feeling supremely awkward about this.

“Huh.” Mitch turned back to Kel, putting his hand on his shoulder and feeling how cold he was.

“Then he lit a whole damn field of Bliss on fire. Thought it was a nice touch.”

“You would, Sharky.”

They both looked away as Mitch worked Kel’s limp arms into the sleeves of a jacket, redressing him so he wasn’t laying there shirtless. Mitch was being so weird, he didn’t care about anyone but himself. He rarely even offered to help them against the peggies. And yet here he was tending to this enemy Priest and looking upset.

“What should we do with him?”

“We’re gonna wait and see if he wakes up.” Mitch sat back, eyes never leaving Kel. “He’s not an Angel yet.”

—

Kel was floundering, everything was too bright and cold and he kept sinking into the ground. Faith had pulled him as far into the Bliss as she could and he’d been trying to get out since. He wasn’t even sure where she was anymore, though faint giggling could be heard and occasionally she’d taunt him.

“I’m not staying here.” Yelled into the expanse of nothingness.

“Why not? You’ve accepted the Father into your heart, and here he is. All around you!”

A gate sprung up before him, opening to a single tree being lit by holy light, it seemed warm and inviting. But he resisted, turning and determinedly walking off the misty edge of the path he was on. “All of this is fake. Fake and poisonous. I don’t want anything to do with it.”

Another obnoxious giggle, “But you already are a part of it silly!”

Kel reached into the grass beneath him for a rock to throw at where the giggling was coming from. It only made him feel marginally better. A faint light begun emanating from his skin, his tattoos softly glowing. He looked at it in surprise more confused than alarmed.

“You see? Your skin bears witness to your devotion. Why would you abandon that?”

“Because I’m not killing anyone ever again.”

“But you did today! One of my precious Angels, a pure soul, innocent. Divine.”

“No, you killed them. All I did was let their body rejoin their soul.”

She didn’t respond to that, so he knew he’d hit a nerve. Abruptly the ground beneath Kel gave out and he plummeted hundreds of feet, hurtling through the air.

The ground rose up to meet him, but instead of slamming into it, he landed lightly on his feet. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before huffing out a cloud of Bliss. This was his mind, this was his Bliss, and he didn’t want her there.

—

“Any change?”

“He got another nosebleed, but that’s about it.” Mitch leaned back and rubbed his eyes, having not slept in a few days.

Kel was strapped to a cot, one arm handcuffed to the railing and hooked up to an IV that was feeding him fluids. Mitch had slid his eyelids closed so he wasn’t creepily staring at the ceiling and reclothed him, but he still looked dead. Only his chest moving gave any indication that he wasn’t a corpse.

“Go get some sleep, he’s not going anywhere.”

Grunting, Mitch waved them away, not wanting to leave. He’d been there for days anyway, why leave now? There’d been a lot of underhanded comments about that. Mitch was not a man known for caring about anything but himself, especially not people he was fucking.

Everyone in town knew he’d offered to take Kel home so he’d have a personal sex toy that couldn’t get away. Which was a bit of a skeezy take on it, he wasn’t going to rape him, but they didn’t know that. And this was a perfect out for getting rid of Kel now that he’d fucked him, yet Mitch wasn’t taking it.

It was almost like he was concerned.

There was a gurgly mumbling sound and Mitch was at Kel’s side immediately, “Kel?”

Kel jerked against the straps, his eyes snapping open but unmoving.

Mitch put a hand on Kel’s chest, swallowing down the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that it wouldn’t be Kel, but Faith.

The mumbling was slowly turning into words, and Kel started to twitch. “Nothing. Nothing I want here. Don’t.. don’t want…”

“That’s it, come back to me.” He rubbed at Kel’s shoulder reassuringly.

“Mitch?” Kel’s eyes slid over to him, straining to see. “Are you really here? Am I out? Did I do it? Did I disable the alarm?”

“I’m right here.” He put his hand into Kel’s. “Yes you got the alarm. And you set a field on fire and Sharky creamed himself. Can you see me? You okay?”

“I’m.. I dunno. No, don’t untie me. I don’t know where she is. Can’t… can’t hear her. Can’t see her.” Kel felt awful, every muscle in his body ached and it was taking all his effort to keep his eyes open.

“It’s fine, you’re here and she isn’t.” Mitch was very aware that there were at least two people standing behind him watching this. And from the smell of burnt hair one of them was Sharky. He tried to ignore them, focusing entirely on Kel. “I’m gonna undo this one strap so you can sit up, you’ve been laying down for four days. Here, drink.”

Kel wobbily leaned against Mitch, not having the strength to support himself in an upright position. He needed Mitch to help him with the cup too, almost spilling it all over himself, muscles twitching and shaky from constant exertion in the Bliss for the past few days. “Did they get the outpost? Did I help?”

“How are you worried about that right now? You just spent days laying catatonic!”

“I have to atone. Have to make it right.”

Mitch sighed, “They got the outpost. And then they brought you back to the church, that’s where you are right now.”

“Good. Good.” Kel closed his eyes, reaching up to press his fingers into Mitch’s shirt. “Please be real.”

“I’m very real.” He bit back a joke about proving it, rubbing Kel’s back. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“Faith.” Kel swallowed hard, “She pulled me further into the Bliss than I thought possible. I’ve been running.”

“For four days?”

Kel nodded miserably, slumping against Mitch and sinking back down onto the cot. “Hard to break free.”

“But you did.” He helped him lay back down, “Get some sleep. You need it.”

Mumbling something Kel sunk into the cot, his one free arm curling beneath his head as he stretched and got comfortable.

Mitch let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, having not realized how concerned he had been about Kel. He turned to glare at the people gathered behind him daring them to say anything.

A couple of them smiled knowingly at him, but none of them remarked on Mitch’s sudden show of affection. It was entirely out of character for him, but he clearly cared about the Priest, watching over him for days.

Now to make sure that Kel was Kel, and not being controlled by Faith or the Bliss.

—

“Comfy?”

Nestled in several blankets and propped up by pillows Kel nodded, “You should keep me tied up though.”

“If Faith is going to throttle me in my sleep she’s sure taking her damn time.”

It had been a few days since Kel had woken up, and they’d kept him in the church under observation just in case. But nothing indicated that Kel wasn’t in complete control of himself, and he’d had several chances to kill Mitch since then, but nothing had happened.

So Mitch had brought him back home, carrying him into the safehouse and tucking him into bed since Kel was still very unsteady on his feet. Weak from four straight days of running around the Bliss, and he’d lost a lot of weight in that time.

“How about some lunch? Chicken strips?”

“That sounds good.” Kel stretched, “You really shouldn’t be trusting me.”

Mitch crawled onto the bed smirking down at Kel, “You really want me to tie you up?”

“Yes.”

“Kinky.” He leaned down to kiss him, “Maybe when you’re feeling better.”

Weakly shoving at Mitch’s chest, Kel twisted away, “You’re the worst.”

“So I’ve been told.” He playfully dragged his hand down the pile of blankets to where Kel’s dick was under twenty pounds of fleece. “Food first though.”

Kel groaned, but he had a weak smile on his face. At least Mitch kept him from dwelling too much on the depressing thoughts he often had.

Mitch hopped off the bed, going to the wall mounted tv and pulling it forward and adjusting it so it faced Kel. “Next up is monster movies. Alien or Predator?”

“Predator I guess.”

“Good choice.” He popped the DVD into the player and went to the kitchen to start lunch. He didn’t have a full kitchen in the safehouse, only a toasteroven, microwave and a hotplate, but he also didn’t cook. There was a standing freezer that was nearly completely full of frozen dinners, taquitos, chicken strips and burritos. The waffles had been a fluke, he’d just happened to want waffles the day before volunteering to look after Kel.

Sure he had the standard canned shit for if the power went out, but in all the time he’d had this mini-bunker he’d never needed to use it. He forced himself to stay in it at least twice a year to make sure it was still stocked up and good to go in case of emergencies, but it wasn’t exactly a prepper stash. Glad he had it now though, since it was keeping him and Kel nice and safe. John had staged a few raids to try and take back his kidnapped priest, but so far hadn’t gotten anywhere close to where the safehouse was.

Chicken strips toasting away, Mitch went back to the bed, flopping out next to Kel and folding his arms behind his head. Kel was watching the movie, but he pulled an arm out from his blanket coccoon and latched onto Mitch’s hand. Kel hadn’t wanted to be away from Mitch since he’d woken up, clinging to him to prove to himself this was real.

It had prompted Sharky to ask if Mitch had somehow fucked Kel into liking him and how could he do that to his ex-girlfriend. And while good for his ego, Mitch honestly wasn’t sure what he’d done right to get Kel to be so attached to him. It certainly hadn’t been the sex he couldn’t feel.

In one of those rare moments where he thought with his brain instead of his dick Mitch looked over at Kel, studying him. Was it because he was scared and would have clung to anyone? He didn’t seem scared, other than wanting to make sure this was all real. And he’d wanted to be around Mitch specifically. Maybe it was because of the familiarity, and he knew that Mitch at least wasn’t going to hurt him.

Also Mitch was wealthy, not that Kel knew that, but the man could potentially give him anything he wanted. Well, he could after the whole cult situation was dealt with and he could spend money on things again. Right now it made him a target. He missed being able to drive a few hours to the next major town and buy whatever the fuck he wanted, he missed all the tv channels he used to get, and most of all he missed his actual cabin that had rooms and comfort and wasn’t made of cindrblocks. Kel didn’t seem to want any of that though and Mitch was at a loss as to why he was staying around. Pastor Jerome had offered to let him stay at the church, but he had wanted to come back with Mitch.

Mitch had no idea why.

Squirming anxiously in his blanket nest, Kel glanced over at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just thinking.”

“About me?” Kel immediately jumped to the worst conclusions. “Would you like me to leave?”

“No. Of course not. You stay right there.” He put his hand on Kel’s stomach to keep him down. “You think I sat there with you for almost a week and I’m gonna kick you out now that I carried you all the way back here?”

There was a long pause while Kel stared at him, “You sat with me?”

Mitch shrugged. “Someone needed to be there when you woke up.” He would have said more but he had the breath knocked out of him by Kel launching into him and tackling him off the bed with the most aggressive hug Mitch had ever experienced.

“Thank you.”

Holding onto him, Mitch rubbed his back, “You don’t have to thank me.” And preferably never ask him about it because Mitch wasn’t sure why he’d done that or why he cared.

“Yes I do. I don’t deserve people being nice to me.”

“Stop it.” He flicked Kel’s ear. “Your first step to atonement is to stop doing that.”

“Forgive me.” He kissed at Mitch’s neck, sending shivers down his spine.

“Hn.” Mitch melted against him, not wanting to get up even though the timer on the toaster oven was beeping. “You’re doing that on purpose.”

“I would never abuse doctrine for such a thing.” Said as he bit Mitch’s ear and slid his hands into his shirt.

“Liar.”

Kel grinned, releasing him from his death-hug. “Go get lunch, I’m not going anywhere.”

“You better not.”

—

“I’m starting to get annoyed.”

Mitch stuck his head around the corner of the bathroom to stare at the radio that had crackled to life. Kel reacted like the thing was poisonous, scrambling away and sitting on the far edge of the couch, but Mitch’s face split into a huge grin, “Is that John?”

The voice continued, “Your deputy just won’t say Yes. How hard is it? One little word. But it can open so many doors. And now, now you’re kidnapping people. That’s naughty. I should be mad but Joseph opened my eyes to my greed, so I will be generous and share with you a way to be free from sin. I will…”

He was interrupted by Mitch coming over the comm, “John! Haven’t seen you on tv lately. Run out of victims?”

There was a long silence, and then John came back on, speaking through clenched teeth, “Mitch.”

“So I heard you lost a Priest. That’s too bad.”

“I didn’t lose him. You people stole him.”

“Yeah about that…”

“What about that?”

“I think I’m gonna keep him.”

Another long pause. “You’re full of shit Mitch. You probably don’t even know what he looks like.”

“Is that so? I’d say I know more about what he looks like than you do, but I’ve seen those tattoos. The starburst was necessary huh? Was that one fun?”

There was no response from John and Mitch snickered, knowing he was getting to him. “He’s here if you want to say hi.”

“No he’s not. If he was there you’d be dead.”

Kel glared at the radio, clearly offended. “I only killed people because you made me. That was never my choice.”

“What are you doing there? Get back here where you belong.” John growled out, furious.

“I’m not coming back.”

Oh this was too good. Mitch laughed loudly, “See? Definitely keeping him. You know what they say: When Priests descend into sin they fall hard? Is that a saying? I think that’s a saying.”

“GODDAMN IT MITCH.”

Mitch recoiled as the radio let out an ear splitting peal of static from what was probably John throwing it at the wall. Poor Kel had turned red and was cowering away.

“Aww, I’m sorry. Couldn’t resist, c'mere.” He held out his arms for a hug, smiling when Kel crawled over to him. “He deserves it, let him stew on that for a while.”

The radio came back on, the long suffering voice of Dutch sighing in resignation, “Mitch, you know this is a public channel right?”

“Nah, let him say what he wants. Serves John right.”

Mitch grinned, grabbing the radio and setting it on Kel’s back as he was cuddled, “See Dutch? Eli likes me.”

“Now let’s not go that far.”

—

“Something is wrong.” Kel was twitchily looking all around, agitated and afraid.

“What? What’s happening?” Mitch had been napping, but he sat up and listened. Nothing seemed unusual, the radio wasn’t making noise and he didn’t hear any gunshots outside.

“I don’t know.” He instinctively reached for the rosary at his belt, forgetting that he didn’t have it anymore and was also wearing Mitch’s sweatpants. “Something feels off.”

“Can you see it?”

Kel clenched and unclenched his hands, unsure what to do. “We’d have to leave. I don’t want to look through the Bliss here, Faith will see where I am.”

“Well then we’re not gonna know.” He stretched, picking up the radio and cycling through the channels. “Don’t hear anything happening. Wanna go for a ride?”

Mitch was trying to come to terms with the fact that Kel’s connection to the Bliss was something almost inhuman. When he looked through it, he didn’t only gain the ability to actually see, he could see for great distances and identify anyone else inflicted with it. Sometimes he could see all the way into Joseph’s church and know where he was.

“No. I don’t think we should leave.” He curled up on the bed. “It seems bad.”

He sat up suddenly, “It’s bad. It’s bad it’s bad. Someone’s dead. Someone…” He shook his head, he didn’t know who or where but he had a sinking feeling about all this.

Mitch went to comfort him, but was startled by the radio exploding with screams. He sat up with it in his hands, looking between it and Kel who was clinging to him. Everyone was talking over each other and he couldn’t make heads or tails of what was happening. There was a woman he didn’t recognize who said something about the mayor and cougars, Dutch and Eli were both trying to sort it out, another gruff voice who might have been the Sheriff, someone who honestly sounded like Deputy Pratt asking what was going on, and then interference from Zip’s constant broadcast adding into the mix.

“What did you do? That is NOT what the Father wanted.”

Well that was John, but Mitch had no idea who he was talking to. He looked over at at Kel, “Jacob maybe? What do you think he did?”

“Maybe he put that rookie deputy through the trials and he failed?” Kel didn’t sound confident in that though. If that had happened Joseph himself might be on the radio expressing his displeasure.

No one responded to John, which made it less likely that he was talking to Jacob who usually maintained some sort of presence on the comms. Though not when Mitch was taunting him. It was boring sitting around in a safehouse while people were out fighting and dying and a cult was taking over. Mitch had to entertain himself somehow, and annoying John until he snapped was one of the highlights of his week. No matter what he said to Jacob the man tended to ignore him, he wasn’t able to get a rise out of him, which was infuriating. He could maybe cajole something out of Pratt, but that was likely going to cause him to be beaten to death. And while Mitch didn’t like him much, he didn’t want him dead at the hands of Jacob.

“Must be Faith then.”

“I don’t know what she could have done.” Kel furrowed his brow, thinking. She had a lot of power over those that she’d enamored with Bliss, but he wasn’t sure how she could use that in a way that went against Joseph’s wishes.

The comms didn’t give them any more insight and Mitch lowered the volume eventually so they could get some sleep. He didn’t want to turn it all the way off, but it was starting to get annoying with multiple people yelling over each other and none of them explaining what was happening.

In the middle of the night Kel catapulted out of bed. He staggered across the room before falling to his hands and knees.

“Kel? What’s happening?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know.” He couldn’t see at all and he smashed his head into the side of the counter as he fell over, holding his stomach. He shoved Mitch away when he knelt at his side. “Don’t. Don’t be near me. Something is..”

He didn’t get to finish that sentence before he was up on his hands and knees and vomiting onto the linoleum. Mitch scurried backwards as huge clouds of Bliss started to emanate from him. Kel was actually glowing slightly, his tattoos standing out against his skin as he puked up something black and goopy.

Grabbing his shotgun, Mitch opened the heavy metal door of the safehouse and peered outside. He expected to see Faith floating around giggling and being a nuisance. But all looked normal, the forest almost invisible in the darkness. "Alright, let’s get you some fresh air.“

Kel weakly tried to push him away again, but Mitch dragged him to his feet, supporting his weight and leading him outside. Mitch collapsed as soon as he got him out, a little Bliss went a long way and he was feeling it hard, everything starting to swim. But he stayed by Kel, watching him.

"Something’s wrong in the Bliss.” Kel wiped his mouth. “It’s different. No.. something is right in the Bliss.”

“What do you mean?”

Abruptly Kel lunged at Mitch, exhaling a cloud right into his face. “Look! She’s gone!”

“Wh–? What?” Mitch struggled to make sense of what Kel was saying, his eyes dilating huge and his body tingling. He nearly collapsed, everything going blurry as his body reacted to the drug.

“Faith is gone!”

“Where’d she go?” He didn’t sound like he cared, or was even really listening. Bliss acting immediately and causing him to be vulnerable to suggestion as it clouded his mind from rational thought. Even so, Mitch wrapped his arms around Kel, his brain on autopilot still had a direct connection to his dick. Oh this was nice, his skin prickly and Kel all warm. He could get into this.

“I don’t know.” He nuzzled against Mitch, not even caring that they were laying in the dirt in the middle of a forest at night. “I hope she’s dead.”

“Me too.”

—

His hope had come to fruition as it seemed that Faith had been killed. Joseph had broadcast a whiny message on the TV that caused Mitch to roll his eyes so hard he nearly pulled a muscle. He couldn’t imagine the person who actually had any sympathy for that idiot.

Kel however; was absolutely ecstatic. Well had been anyway, he was sleeping now after a very long evening with Mitch. Prior to that he’d been incredibly apologetic, horrified that he’d Blissed up Mitch without thinking. Not that Mitch cared, he didn’t think Kel was going to do anything other than lay on him, and the sensation had been pleasant. With any luck last night had proven to Kel that Mitch wasn’t mad at him.

Mitch stroked his back with one hand, the other fiddling with the radio, halfheartedly listening to the Seed brothers complain about that rookie deputy. He wasn’t really sure who they were trying to influence considering it was three in the morning.

“Do you assholes ever sleep?”

“No ones talking to you Mitch.”

“Considering I’m the only one awake it damn sure seems like you are. Anyone else there? Eli? Dutch? Jerome? Yeah see? Normal people are sleeping right now. You should do the same.”

“There are more important things to be done with our time.”

Oh that was rare, Jacob actually interacting with him? Well he wasn’t going to let that opportunity pass. “Please tell me you have an inspirational poster that says "Sleep is for the Weak”.“

"No.”

But Mitch could hear someone laughing in the background and the comm cut out as John snorted.

“John, this is your problem, make him say yes.”

“I kind of agree with Mitch on this one.” John cut the radio again as he started laughing.

Jacob didn’t respond and Mitch sighed. “You’re no fun at all Jacob. Are you still there? Pratt, is he still there?”

“No, he left.” Pratt’s voice was different than normal, and Mitch grinned. The man was definitely laughing at Jacob. Well that was a minor success anyway. Assuming he didn’t wind up dead.

“So uptight. All three of you jerks could do with some chill time. Relax a little.” Mitch sighed, it was fun to mess with them, but the reality was they were all horrible monsters killing and maiming people. Talking to them almost made it worse, remembering that these were real human beings and not two dimensional villains. Regular people who had decided to commit atrocities in the name of religion. Well, not Pratt, he was just being held hostage and slowly turning into Jacob’s dog. That was disturbing in its own right, and he hoped for Pratt’s sake that Jacob didn’t share his brother’s love of perverse sex acts.

“You offering Mitch?” John’s voice had dropped to something sinister.

“Aww, do you miss me?”

“Give me an hour.”

Mitch sat up, an unsure expression on his face. “An hour until what?”

There was silence on the comms and Mitch blindly groped for the remote, cycling through the channels to see what was happening. John’s torture room was empty, Faith’s channel had been replaced with static, and Jacob’s was cycling through his bunker cameras. Jacob was sitting in a chair smoking, and definitely not designing sleep is for the weak posters. He didn’t see Pratt, so hopefully he hadn’t been killed for laughing at Jacob. Mitch would actually feel a little bad about that.

Nervously Mitch got up and made sure his guns were at the ready, securing the door again and checking his generator. He didn’t know what John was planning, but he didn’t like it.

An hour came and went and he resisted the urge to call John and ask what the holdup was. He didn’t want to admit anything affected him, let the stupid herald think he’d ignored him and gone to sleep.

He had almost dozed off anyway by the time John’s voice came back over the radio, “Haven’t been here for a while have you Mitch? Your place is all fucked up.”

“Haven’t been where?”

“Don’t play stupid with me. You know, I remember this place being bigger.”

Kel was awake now, glancing between Mitch and the radio, “Where is he?”

“He better not be where I think he is.” Mitch glared at the radio before speaking to John again, “I remember you being bigger too, what’s your point?”

“Tsk tsk. Didn’t empty out the fridge before you left, that’s gonna smell.”

“Get the hell out of my house John.”

“Come make me.”

“Well if you’re there you can water the plants for me.”

“Ah, yeah. This is a nice bed. I forgot about this thing.”

Mitch grimaced. “If you’re gonna use it, change the sheets afterwards. Bro-code and all.”

Kel looked at Mitch and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Shrugging Mitch flopped onto the bed, resolved to John burning his house down or whatever it was he was doing there. “It’s fine. I’m learning a valuable life lesson right now: Don’t fuck crazy.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“You slept with John?” Kel stared, thoroughly disturbed.

“A long ass time ago. Before he started carving people up and doing all this shit.” He rubbed at Kel’s back tattoo. “I don’t think he likes me much anymore.”

His voice came back over the airwaves, “Well, say goodbye to it. I don’t think you’ll have any need for this soon.” John was practically giddy.

“I was going to show that to Kel you know. Why do you hate your priest so much?”

“He’s a damn traitor.”

“John, why are you wasting your time with this?” Jacob sounded annoyed.

“Welcome back Jacob. Would you like to be the voice of reason for once and get your brother out of my house?”

“Shut up Mitch. John, this is pointless, and there’s work to be done.”

There was an odd rumbling sound coming through the radio as John replied, “I’m almost finished.”

“The fuck are you doing?” Mitch frowned.

“Relaxing! Just as suggested.”

“….do you have a chainsaw?”

“Stop tearing up this idiot’s house.” Jacob’s frustration seeped through into his voice.

“All done!” John sounded triumphant.

“If you two are done comparing dicks some of us need to use the radio for real things.” Grace sounded unamused, wanting to snipe both of them.

“Fine.” Mitch growled, wondering what the hell John had done to his house. “Mine’s bigger though.”

“Get off the line Mitch.” Grace’s tone was stern enough that he actually complied and went silent. He might have no shame, but he also had a healthy respect for someone who could shoot his dick off at 400 meters.

—

Kel leaned heavily on Mitch as they walked the short distance from the truck to a nearby picnic table. It had been over a week since he’d woken up from the Bliss, but he was still incredibly weak, slowly working up to walking longer distances and getting his strength back. A couple people cheered when they saw him and he flushed, trying to disappear into his jacket.

“See? Told you they wanted you to come.” Mitch ruffled Kel’s hair, “I’ll get you some food, stay here.”

“Hey man,” Sharky slid into the bench across from Kel. “Wanted to say I’m glad you didn’t turn into an Angel and all. Cuz uh, it wouldn’t be any fun lighting you up.”

“Uhm.. thanks Sharky.”

“You should see 'em though! I mean, guess you can’t since you’re blind, but try and imagine it, and don’t tent your pants when I’m describin’ it. So I got all my trailers in a circle right, and every night I play music. The good stuff, not your boring cult harmonizing crap. So all the angels, I think they love it! They come a'runnin! And I’m waiting for them with my flamethrower and then whoooosh! Kazaam! Oh man it’s beautiful.”

“That’s….”

“The greatest thing you ever heard? I know. I’m a lucky man.”

Kel buried himself in the food Mitch brought him so he didn’t have to think up a reply to that, horrified by the idea of watching someone burn to death. Granted the Angels were technically dead already, but it was still disturbing.

“So I was out with the deputy and heard about your house. I made 'em go check it out. You know in case John was still hanging out there. But uh… He made a real mess of the place.”

Mitch groaned, “What’d he do?”

“He sawed your bed in half and there’s all these like.. wires and shit hanging from the ceiling. I dunno man.” He shrugged and took a gulp of his beer. “You made him mad.”

“Yeah. I knew he’d get pissed eventually, but I didn’t think it would be that quick.”

Kel huddled down, glancing between them. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault, John is an asshole. He’s always been an asshole, and this whole cult bullshit is making him worse.” Downing his beer Mitch contemplated it for a minute. “He used to be a sadistic jerk. But not the kind of jerk who brainwashed people until they lost their memory, or carved out big chunks of their skin, or participated in wholesale slaughter. Just the normal kind.”

What he wasn’t saying was that he and John used to be very similar. They were both cocksure assholes with more money then they knew what to do with, were into kinky illicit things and didn’t care about other people. But along the way John had crossed a line into insanity. Somewhere in the tiny introspective part of Mitch’s brain he was secretly terrified that he might do the same.

“Shit’s weird now man.”

“What did it used to be like?” Kel glanced around, trying to see what was happening nearby. He could smell the barbecue and there was music playing while people chatted. It seemed pretty good to him now.

“Like this but no one was shooting each other. Didn’t have to live in my safehouse. My truck didn’t have a machine gun in the back. I don’t even know how I’m gonna get that shit out of there, it’s welded to the bed and tied into the frame. The fuck am I gonna do when the cult’s finally dealt with? Drive into town for supplies, park at the Target, and casually go shopping with a huge fuckoff gun? Yeah, that’s normal.”

“I was kinda wanted for arson, sooooo some of this is good for me. Not the whole everyone getting killed thing, but the not being arrested part of it.”

“The Marshall is dead, I think you’re fine.” Mitch got up to get more beers, annoyed that this was the first town party where he hadn’t been able to spend a shit ton of money on alcohol so they could have the good stuff. “Considering how many people have been murdered, it’s gonna be a hundred years before they get around to arresting the guy who burned down those barns.”

“I’m innocent until proven guilty!”

“You announced it at the Testy Festy!”

“Oh… yeah. Forgot about that.”

“Do you think that Eden’s Gate will actually go away?” Kel didn’t sound so sure, knowing firsthand how far reaching it was.

“Sure! We get rid of all them Seed’s and they’ll fall apart like my ATV I left out in the rain for a year.” Sharky sure was confident.

“How is anyone going to get close enough to kill any of them? Especially Jacob, I don’t think he leaves his bunker.”

“Well uh… You could get close to them right?”

“No Sharky. We’re not using a blind guy as an assassin.” Mitch sat back down with another round of beers, pushing one towards Kel who hadn’t even finished his first.

“I don’t think I could get close to Jacob anyway. I wouldn’t survive the trials.” From what he knew of Jacob he wouldn’t have survived long enough to even be put through the trials. Being a pacifist priest would not have impressed a man who thought the weak were meat.

“That’s a problem for this rookie deputy. And for not now. This is supposed to be a party!”

“Kinda gruesome celebrating someone’s death ain’t it?” Sharky scratched the back of his head. “She weren’t all bad.”

“Says the guy lighting Angels on fire.” Mitch scoffed.

“She was that bad. You didn’t know her. You only saw what she wanted you to see, she was good at that.” Kel reached for that second beer. He didn’t want to think about that anymore. What she’d done to him, what John had done to him. Some of those things he couldn’t even remember so he assumed it was awful. At least Jacob didn’t hide what he was doing, being a psychopath right out there in the open and not trying to pretend what he was doing was normal. Somehow John had convinced everyone around him that cutting chunks of skin off of people was a completely sane thing to do.

“Yeah, and now she’s gone.” Snaking an arm around Kel’s shoulders he pulled him close, glancing over as the Deputy made a rare appearance amidst congratulations and toasts from the gathered crowd. “Don’t think about it right now, enjoy the festivities. It’s part of your atonement.”

“It is not.” He half smiled as he cuddled closer.

“I am offended that you think I would lead you astray. A priest! I am aghast at your accusations.”

“I would be shocked if you didn’t.” Kel grinned. “I like this though. Everything about here is better than Eden’s Gate. I hope the resistance succeeds.”

“See? You’re not a Peggie no more. I knew it. I told Hurk and he said 'once a peggie always a peggie’ but he’s wrong. I’m gonna go tell him.”

They watched Sharky go do just that, Mitch letting his hand slide dangerously low down Kel’s back. “Everything better huh?”

“Yes. You’re better than John too.” He shook his head, unsure why Mitch was in some constant vain struggle with John Seed.

“I knew I liked you.” He tinged his beer bottle against Kel’s. “One Seed sibling down, three to go.”

“I hope John is next.”

“Oh me too. Me too.”


End file.
